{"id":5923,"date":"2022-05-09T10:55:38","date_gmt":"2022-05-09T15:55:38","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blog.kovifabrics.com\/?p=5923"},"modified":"2023-04-09T17:59:11","modified_gmt":"2023-04-09T22:59:11","slug":"saving-chair-backs-from-being-boring","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.kovifabrics.com\/blog\/saving-chair-backs-from-being-boring\/","title":{"rendered":"Putting Your Back Into It\u2014Saving Chair Backs From Being Boring"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Upholstering your old chairs doesn\u2019t have to cost an arm and a leg, nor does it have to be dull and boring. The humble chair back has often been the area of neglect, where we simply cover up with the same old fabric as the rest of the chair. Functional\u2014yes, but oh so boring!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

With these great ideas, you can create functional art out of your chairs, enjoy a journey of discovery, and have a load of fun along the way. Let\u2019s get started!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

12 Alternative Designs for Chair Backs<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

1. Create a Textured Landscape<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Using the same fabric as your upholstery, you can have custom<\/a> laser-cut designs made that you can add as layers of blossoms or other fun elements. Simply glue these into place with fabric glue or add a staple or two if you happen to be on a support beam of the chair. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The laser cutting will seal the edges of the fabric, making it fray resistant, but you can also use a no-fray glue to seal the \u201craw\u201d edges of the fabric, so there is no need to sew. We love the idea of layered blossoms from Helen Amy Murray<\/a>. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

2. Boldly Contrast Front to Back<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

If you don\u2019t feel up to the laser-cut patterns, why not contrast colors by selecting a single dominant color to oppose and complement the printed fronts of the chairs? Alternatively, save your patterns for the back and sides<\/a>, leaving a peaceful plain covering for the inside of the chair. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

3. Combine Stripes and Florals<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Stripes and florals<\/a> aren\u2019t mutually exclusive. Where your chair seat is covered in stripes, you can match the tones and colors with a slightly larger scale floral design on the back, or you can swap around and have floral on the seat and stripes on the chair back. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

4. Scale Up<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

When designers create their new range of fabrics, they often have similar patterns at different scales. We love this idea by designer Tricia Guild<\/a> to combine small-scale dots with a much larger-scaled dot fabric for the back of the chair. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

5. Combine Upholstery and Multimedia<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

If you have a flair for the dramatic and a bit of skill with a paintbrush, you can use upholstery fabric as inspiration for an artwork that can be painted on a plain fabric on the front or back of the chair. Ideas like this portrait work by Irina Neac\u015fu Studio<\/a> are inspirational. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

6. Add Something Special<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

The chair back is an opportunity to hide something unique in plain sight. Like peekaboo hairstyles, you can also have a hidden element that pops when people walk behind your chairs. We love this \u201clace-up\u201d rustic look<\/a> that is so utterly \u201cFrench village\u201d that you may be forgiven for thinking you are walking through the villages around the linen fields of Normandy<\/a>. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

7. Bring the Chair to Life<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Chairs have their own personality, and you can easily build that personality with a bit of humanesque upholstery work. Repurpose a favorite garment, such as your son\u2019s graduation blazer, to make a unique chair back that will stand out in his study or student room. It\u2019s a great way to ensure those garments we collect in life aren\u2019t forgotten. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

8. Tie It All Together<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Most men collect an astonishing amount of neckties in their life. And there are certainly amazing tie ideas that flood the market. Why not use these ties to create a special element for the chair back or chair front? Ties can be sewn together<\/a> to create a special look that is both stylish and unique. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

9. Specialized Prints for the Back<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

If you don\u2019t quite feel up to making that special element yourself, you can also opt to have a favorite artwork printed on fabric, then have it professionally mounted to the chair back for that unique and vibrant look that will have heads turning in your home. Interior Designer Cachel Rupp\u2019s mural chair back<\/a> is exquisite. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

10. Go Alternative<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

If you want, you can also change up an existing upholstery project with small pom pom balls<\/a> or larger felt balls that you can mount to the back of your chair, creating a riot of color and design. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

If colored poms aren\u2019t your style, you can use any soft toys<\/a> or soft cut-outs to create a collage on the back of the chairs in your home. Adding stuffed animal toys to the back of the chairs in your kids\u2019 rooms will be an instant hit with the little ones. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

11. Rug up the Chair Back<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

If you have a matching rug and no place to put it, why not use the rug as an upholstery material for your chair back? Plush rugs can also be used, with the added benefit that the chair back will stay cleaner for longer, so the rug will remain in good condition. Patterned or picture rugs are also a great choice for chair backs. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

12. Slipcovers With Details<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

The design elements such as gimp, edging, and tassels can all be combined to create a brilliant cover<\/a> that you can add to your chair, focusing attention with fun rewards for the viewer to discover, like pom pom tassels or fringes at the back of the chair<\/a>.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What to Consider When Thinking of an Alternative Chair Back<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

By now, you are probably rearing to get at your furniture to get creative and make unique chair backs that will wow your friends and family when they visit. Before you rush out and raid the local haberdashery store, there are a few things to consider:<\/p>\n\n\n\n